


100 Themes of YuriLuke

by Tsorin



Category: Tales of Vesperia, Tales of the Abyss
Genre: I want to give my fellow Patty fans some more fic, M/M, Normally I wouldn't tag Patty but there's so little stuff with her in it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-02-21 09:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2464010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsorin/pseuds/Tsorin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The 100 Theme challenge centering around the YuriLuke pairing.</p><p>Most of these are related except when they aren't. Not in chronological order.</p><p>Bonus Chapters exist within the same universe but do not contain explicit YuriLuke. But they're fun anyway!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

The mansion is bigger than the entire block where Yuri usually spends his nights. It’s the biggest building after the castle and even Yuri isn’t that stupid. The guards seem to be more watchful than Yuri had expected, but it’s nothing he can’t slip by by climbing one of the trees and hopping the wall.

Landing on the other side is like walking into a new world. Outside it’s kind of gray, the kind of a day that can’t decide if it wants to be winter or spring. There are some plants growing in window boxes, but not many, and none of them are flowering.

It’s completely stupid, but it seems to Yuri as if the garden glows. There are flowers of every kind, most of which Yuri has never seen before, and all of them are blooming. Movement across the way causes Yuri to shrink back into the wall’s shadow. He doesn’t have to wait long before an old man wanders into view. The man hums as he checks the plants before moving away.

As Yuri breathes a sigh of relief and tries to plan his entrance into the manor, something moving at the window above catches his eye.

He sees a speck of red before something hurls itself from the second story window.

Yuri throws himself forward without a second thought. Something warm and heavy and boney slams into his chest and arms, sending them both crashing to the ground.

"Are you stupid?!" he says to the thing in his arms.

The kid is small. Definitely younger than Yuri by a couple of years. The red turns out to be the shocking hue of his hair (Kimlascan royalty hair - oh shit this kid is a member of the royal family. Yuri is so fucked.) The kid looks up and angry green eyes meet Yuri’s own.

"Why’d you get in my way?" the kid says.

"You don’t go jumping out of windows, kid," Yuri says. "Especially second floors windows. You go splat all over the ground."

"Guy does it all the time. I’ve seen him. And my name’s not kid. It’s Luke!”

The kid… Luke… glares up at him with a face Yuri has caught sight of in puddles and mirrors. It makes Yuri almost like the kid.

"Go back inside," he orders, the responsible adult. "Someone’s probably looking for you."

“‘Course someone’s looking for me. Someone’s always looking for me, which is why I couldn’t get away ‘til now.”

Luke glances at the wall behind Yuri, then looks back at him.

"What’re you doing here anyway? I didn’t think there were kids here besides me."

"I’m not a kid," Yuri says. "I’m fifteen."

"And I’m not a kid,” Luke says. “I’m twelve.”

Yuri grins.

"I like you, Luke. You said you’re running away from people."

"The maids and Guy. Mostly Guy."

Yuri takes Luke’s hand and looks around for another tree.

"How about we make it one hell of a chase?"


	2. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme #2 - Love

When Luke sees Yuri after being swept across the world, some tight knot in him eases and he can breathe freely for the first time.

Tear wasn’t bad, but Luke didn’t know her and she spent most of her time treating him like an idiot. Anise seemed nice but also kind of scary and she reminded him more than a little of Natalia and so not going there. Ion was pretty cool but Luke hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to him much.

The less said about Jade, the better.

Yuri (and Guy too, of course) was familiar and Luke knew where he stood with Yuri and Yuri did not treat him like an idiot, at least not without giving some kind of explanation. So he didn’t know what a Fon Master was. So what?

"Hey there, your majesty!" Yuri says, coming over and slinging an arm over his shoulder. "How’s the field trip?"

"The sights aren’t half bad. Though the company could be better."

"Is it improving?" Yuri says. He grabs Luke’s hand for a moment and when he pulls away, there is a croquette in Luke’s palm.

"Getting there," Luke says. He takes a bite of the croquette and flavor splashes across his tongue. "Love-filled?"

"Only the best for a prince," Yuri says.

"Snacks?" says Jade, cutting into their conversation. "I hope you brought enough for the class."

"Sorry," Yuri says, grinning. His face is a bit stiff. "Only for the Prince here."

"I thought you were only a duke," Jade says. "Have you been holding out on us, Master Luke?"

Luke flushes. He can’t help it. Everything Jade says rubs him the wrong way and normally he would yell and get angry except Jade only seems to find it funny and Luke can never win. Yuri’s arm across his shoulder tightens its grip.

"It’s just a stupid nickname," he mutters. "Don’t listen to him."

"And who is this?" Ion, ever polite and earnest Ion, asks.

"Um, that’s Guy," Luke says, belatedly waving at his best friend. Guy smirks at him.

"Your servant, he said," Tear says.

"He’s not-!" God, it’s not even worth it. "And this is Yuri. He’s a friend."

Friend isn’t what Luke wants to say, but it’s the only thing that he can come up with.

"An awful long way to come for a friend," Jade says.

Luke is caught between anger at Jade for judging Luke and Yuri’s relationship and longing for the comment to be even the littlest true.

"I just wanted to be here when the Prince got his first look of the outside world," Yuri says. "So what do you think?"

There’s so much Luke could talk about, but not around present company. Later tonight, when Tear and Ion and Jade and maybe even Guy have gone to bed, Luke will sneak over next to Yuri and tell him about all the new things he’s experienced. He’ll talk about his first human kill and he’ll cry and Yuri will pat his back and rub his hands and understand as no one else can. But for now, Luke only wants to make Yuri’s grins reach his eyes.

"I think there is an extreme lack of love-filled croquettes," Luke says.

It’s worth the look on Jade’s face when Yuri laughs and grins again, for real this time.

"I can fix that," Yuri says. "Do you have a frying pan?"


	3. Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme #75 - Mirror

When Asch the Bloody staggers into Tear’s house, one unconscious red-headed noble slung over his shoulder, Yuri panics.

With a growl in his throat, he practically rips Luke out of the God General’s hands, wedging Luke between his body and his arm with practiced familiarity. His free hand moves over Luke’s body, checking his pulse, his breathing, his heartbeat.

"What did you do?" Guy asks Asch.

"Nothing," Asch says. "The replica just collapsed."

"That didn’t look like nothing to me," Tear says, emerging from behind Asch. She carries both Asch and Luke’s swords. Asch takes his back and buckles it to his waist now that there is nothing in the way. Guy takes Luke’s. His deathgrip on the sheath turns his fingers white.

"Is there somewhere I can lay Luke down?" Yuri says. "He’s heavy. I think you might need to cut back on the croquettes, your majesty." He flashes Flynn a pale imitation of his usual smirk and when Flynn looks closer, he can see the desperation in Yuri’s eyes.

"Oh. Yes, of course," Tear says. "We can put him in my room for now."

She tries to help Yuri with Luke’s limp body, but Yuri pulls him away. Guy follows them and Yuri even backs away from his help. Flynn wonders what is going through his oldest friend’s head. Is it the complete rejection of Luke by the rest of the group? Even Guy?

Flynn does not follow them. Not because he’s not worried about Luke (he really is) but Luke has Yuri with him and Asch is leaning over to talk to Jade and someone needs to know what is going on with those two.

"…really is a replica. Your replica," Jade is saying quietly as Flynn approaches.

"Unfortunately," Asch replies.

"I had suspected but…"

"Suspected what?" Flynn says loudly, intent on making their conversation public.

There are creaks from the stairs as Guy and Tear descend. All eyes are now on Jade, who true to form does not flinch.

"It appears that Luke fon Fabre is not who he appears to be. According to Asch, the person we know as Luke is really a perfect replica created by Van."

Silence greets this declaration. Flynn notes the genuine shock on the faces of Anise, Natalia, and Guy. But both Tear and Ion look as though this news is not completely unexpected.

"You knew," he says to them. "Both of you."

"I didn’t know,” Ion says. “I suspected. I mean, they look too similar for it to be a coincidence. But I didn’t want to say anything unless I was sure. I didn’t want to worry Luke about something that might not even be real. And it didn’t matter anyway.”

Ion, who is always so quiet and agreeable, is practically glaring at Flynn, as if daring Flynn to challenge him. Flynn doesn’t respond, but he adds another person to his mental tally of people who will stand by Luke.

"Tear?" Natalia asks.

"I didn’t know until Akzeriuth," Tear says. "I knew my brother wanted something from Luke, but I couldn’t figure it out before it was too late."

"It’s not your fault, Tear," Ion says.

"Yeah," Asch says, finally speaking. "Put the blame where it belongs. I knew about Van’s plans and I still couldn’t do anything. That idiotic replica should have known better than to trust Van."

Flynn doesn’t speak up because it’s not his place. He doesn’t know Luke very well, even though Yuri won’t shut up about the kid. It looks for a moment like Guy might start yelling but he holds his temper and the others start discussing how to get back to the surface.

Flynn goes upstairs, Repede at his side. Luke is stretched out on a bed. He is carefully covered, except for one hand that Yuri is holding in his own. Yuri doesn’t notice Flynn come in. He stares down at Luke with a distant expression on his face.

"Yuri," Flynn says.

"What?" Yuri says without looking up.

"How’s Luke?"

"He’s perfectly fine," Yuri says. "There is nothing wrong with him. He should be awake right now." He voice rises. "Why won’t you wake up, Luke? If you don’t wake up, I can’t tell you…" His voice trails off.

Tell Luke what? That Yuri’s sorry? That Yuri should have known? That Yuri loves him?

"Everyone is getting ready to leave," Flynn says. "Somebody has to stop Van."

"I’m not going," Yuri says, as Flynn knew he would.

"I have to go," Flynn says. "I don’t trust these people with Princess Natalia. Especially not that God General."

"The one that looks like Luke? He’s going too?"

"I guess." Flynn strongly suspects that Yuri has heard everything that was said downstairs, but if he hasn’t… "According to Asch, Luke is a replica of him."

Yuri is silent. He curls his fingers between Luke’s own and squeezes.

"I know that doesn’t matter to you, but I still thought I should tell you. That way, when he wakes up, you can tell that to Luke. He’ll need to hear it."

Yuri grins.

Flynn heads back downstairs before he can miss too much. Repede stays, leaning his head on the bed and watching his master’s friend sleep.


	4. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme #46 - Family

Camping is so overrated.

Admittedly, the sand makes for a more forgiving mattress than a forest floor, but after waking up with sand in places Luke didn’t know sand could get, it’s quickly worn out its welcome.

But there wasn’t really a choice. There isn’t a real inn at the Oasis and the girls get first dibs on the beds. Ion gets one too because recent kidnap victims need their rest.

(Luke, thinking back to Choral Castle, wants to call bullshit but it’s Ion, so.)

That left one extra bed. Yuri and Flynn and Guy volunteered to sleep on the ground. Jade offered the bed to “the Ambassador” but Luke has learned to read Jade a little bit and declines as fast as he can.

And gets sand in his pants. He tries to shake it out as quietly as he can.

"Are you still awake, Luke?" Flynn asks from on the other side of Yuri.

No point in hiding it now. Flynn is almost as perceptive as Yuri about things like this and he has Guy’s unwillingness to let things lie. And a stubbornness all his own.

"Yeah," Luke says as he sits up.

"You should try to get some sleep," Flynn says. "We’ve got a long hike tomorrow."

"Not like we can get a whole lot of sleep with this sand," Guy says from Luke’s other side where he is, presumably, still awake. "I’m going to be able to build a sand castle with the stuff I’ll be pulling out of my hair tomorrow."

"And I’ll be able to build a scale model of Baticul," says Yuri. He rolls over and throws himself across Luke’s lap, grinning up at him. "Wanna help, Luke?"

"With getting the sand out of your hair or the sand castle?" Luke responds. Yuri’s hair is lying spread across his back and Luke’s legs so Luke takes a section and starts to braid it. He almost manages to finish it before Yuri notices.

"Oi, knock it off!" Yuri says.

"I don’t think so," Luke says. Guy slips him a hair tie from… somewhere… and Luke ties the braid in place. "It looks cute." He can’t stop himself from smirking.

"You brat!" Yuri’s smiling so he doesn’t mean it but there’s a vaguely homicidal glint in his eye. "Now it’s your turn!"

Luke will never admit to the squeal that he makes as Yuri grabs for his precious hair. He tries to hide behind Guy but Guy is laughing too hard to stand up. And Flynn is staring at both Luke and Yuri with a disapproving look.

He opens his mouth and for once Luke hopes he’s getting ready to tell them both off but all Flynn says is, “Keep it down. There are people sleeping.”

The thought of Natalia and Anise and Jade is enough that Luke doesn’t yell when Yuri tackles him to the ground, hair tie in hand.

It’s only a few minutes later that Ion pokes his head out of the tent/inn and he’s greeted by the sight of Luke’s hair being done up in various stages of braiding because Flynn is more like Yuri than he likes to admit and Guy thought the whole things was too hilarious not to be a part of, the traitor.

"Do I want to know?" Ion says.

"Probably not," Luke says at the same time Yuri says, "Grab a hair tie and come join us."

Ion doesn’t join the “torture Luke” brigade because Ion is really a nice person but he does come and sit beside Luke and pats his hand in sympathy.  
"It’s nice to have a family like this, isn’t it?"

Luke’s never thought about them as a family because he already has one of those, even if his father doesn’t speak to him and his mother can’t be around very much. But now that Ion’s said something, he can’t help but picture Flynn as the stern, disapproving mother and Guy as the father who doesn’t take anything seriously and Ion is the sweet little brother that everyone dotes one.

And Yuri is…

Right now, Yuri is the cool older brother but Luke knows that little brothers aren’t supposed to have these kinds of feelings for their older brothers. So that’s something that’s going to change in the future.

"I guess," he mutters so that only Ion can hear him.

Jade can be the crazy, perverted uncle, he guesses.


	5. Precious Treasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme #36 - Precious Treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place after the boys are FINALLY together which happens at some point after Akzeriuth because coherent timelines are for pussies. Just ask DC.

When Natalia says, “Yuri Lowell, we need to talk,” Yuri thinks about making a break for it but the girls have predicted his move and have him cornered.

"Um."

He looks around for an escape. Across the way, Luke is sparring with Guy as Flynn looks on and occasionally gives pointers. Pointers that Luke will probably actually listen to, unlike Yuri who at this point is too stubborn to concede that Flynn occasionally has a point. Maybe.

Yuri almost catches Luke’s eye and has a proper desperate expression on his face but Jade moves between them, blocking Yuri and the girls from Luke’s view.

Jade is smirking and no way was that accidental and Jade is totally going to get it. Except probably not because knowing the way Yuri’s luck has been going, he’ll turn out to be immortal or something.

"Um," he says, glancing down at Repede and Mieu, who are thankfully sitting right beside him and this could totally work.

Natalia’s glare changes targets. Repede holds out for a whole three seconds before he gets up with a yawn, stretches, and wanders over to sit beside Jade like the whole thing was his idea, Mieu clinging to his back.

"Um." He finally looks up at them, surrendering. Natalia’s wearing her righteous princess expression and Anise looks totally innocent, which only happens right before she goes for someone’s throat. And Tear…

Shit, are those knives?

"Come on, Yuri, " Anise says as Natalia and Tear each grab one of his arms and drag him away. "It’s not like we’re going to do anything to you.”

Yuri thinks about knives and arrows in his ass and Tokunaga’s paws and doesn’t say anything.

"Not as long as you don’t do anything to Luke," Natalia says. "I understand that a young man like yourself has physical needs…"

Oh god, Natalia’s been thinking about his junk. Yuri can only pray that Asch never hears about this.

"…and we just want to make sure that you are getting those needs taken care of. By your own hand."

"Wait, back up." Is this some kind of intervention? "I thought you were going to threaten to hurt me if I did something mean to Luke."

"Are you planning on doing something horrible to Luke?” Tear says and suddenly knives.

"No," Yuri says honestly because he is not going to fuck this up.

"Good," Anise says. "But we already knew that. We just want to make sure that you aren’t doing anything too physical with him.”

Yuri doesn’t know why they are even having this conversation because Luke is seventeen and more than making these kind of judgement calls.

He says as much and Anise says, “But he’s really only seven, right? Wouldn’t that make you a pedophile in some circles?”

Yuri sputters and it’s only because he’s taking a breath that he hears Natalia say, “I’m not sure Luke even knows what sex is.”

"I am not giving him the talk,” Yuri says.

"Well, not yet," Anise says. "Because he’s seven and you wouldn’t have sex with a seven year old, right?"

"Besides, that’s totally Guy’s job," Natalia says, waving the issue aside.

"I would pay money to see that," Yuri says, imaging the blush that will cross Guy’s face as he has to explain to the kid he practically raised how guy bits and girl bits fit together. Or guy bits and guy bits.

Maybe Yuri really will have to give Luke the talk.

"I’ll sell you the ticket," Anise promises because she’s tight with Jade, who seems to have a sense for when someone it about to embarrass themselves.

"The point,” Tear says, dragging them all back on track, “is that nothing of that nature will be happening for a very long time.” She tosses a knife that lands next to the inside of Yuri’s thigh and god that was close. Yuri suddenly remembers that Tear is Van’s sister and Van is ready to destroy the world in order to protect it and Yuri really doesn’t want to see what Tear will go through in order to do the same.

“Are we clear?”

"Crystal," Yuri squeaks and dashes past them, heading for Luke. They let him go.

"How did practice go?" he asks as he nears them.

"Flynn showed me a new trick!" Luke throws himself as Yuri and his arm brushes against a particularly sensitive organ and shit this is going to be harder than he thought.


	6. The Velveteen Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote this forever ago for dragonmune for her birthday and I thought I had posted it here except that I hadn't? So this technically doesn't fall in the 100 themes category but it's still YuriLuke so I figure why not?

“Stop shoving!”

“You’re on my foot!” 

“Shut the hell up, we’re going to get caught!”

It wasn’t cramped inside Luke’s closet, but there wasn’t enough room for three teenage boys, each fighting to put an ear to the cracked door.

Yuri and Guy ended up more or less cheek to cheek, pressing their ears to the crack at eye level. Flynn, with a sigh, got on his knees and squeezed in between them.

The door to the room slammed open with a bang. Luke, sitting on the bed, jumped back with a small yelp. There was only one person who it could be, striding into Luke’s bedroom unannounced.

“Father,” Luke said after he had calmed down. “What’s wrong?”

Duke Fabre’s voice was deadly calm. “I spoke with your tutor today.”

Guy let out a small sigh. Luke had missed more of his lessons than he had gone to this week. It wasn’t surprising – Yuri had finally gotten over his cold and had retaken his self-determined mission to educate Luke on the realities of the world. To Yuri, this apparently meant dragging Luke through the whole of Baticul from top to bottom. Sometimes Guy tagged along, sometimes it was Flynn, but more often they went out alone with only Repede for company.

Seeing Luke come back, flushed with excitement and jabbering happily about this or that new thing that Yuri showed, Guy couldn’t blame Yuri for it. Luke was never happy coming out of his formal lessons. Guy had resolved to encourage these excursions and was often the one to hide Luke’s whereabouts.

But this moment would always come.

“You’re behind on your studies and you continue to miss your lessons. Do you have an explanation?”

“…No.”

“You are being assigned a guard – and not that servant boy you’re so attached to.”

“But-“ 

“He is to accompany you at all times.” It was as if Luke hadn’t even spoken. “And he will see to it that you attend your lessons. Am I clear?” 

“But they’re booooring,” Luke whined. Guy tensed, waiting for the backlash. His grip on Yuri’s arm tightened.

Duke Fabre raised a hand as if to smack the boy. He wouldn’t do it – it wouldn’t do to have a scandal about the Duke’s heir and future king being harmed in the safety of his own home, especially after the kidnapping. Guy knew it. Flynn probably knew it, or guessed. 

Yuri might have figured it out if he had stopped to think. But he didn’t, attempting to lunge out of the closet. Only Guy and, unsurprisingly, Flynn’s hands kept him in place.

“He’ll get in way more trouble if the Duke sees us,” Flynn hissed. “Stay. Put.”

Yuri eyes flashed, and for a moment Guy thought he’d ignore them, but he finally stopped straining, though Guy could still feel the tenseness in his body. 

“If you refuse to go to your lessons, I will see to it that Van does not return for your sword training,” Duke Fabre said. “You will attend your lessons. Am I understood?”

“Yes,” Luke said. His voice shook.

Guy and Flynn were able to hold Yuri back until the moment that the Duke’s steps faded. The instant they did, Yuri burst out of the closet and was at Luke’s side. 

“Are you okay? That asshole didn’t do anything to you?”

“You know he didn’t, Yuri. We were watching the whole time.” 

Guy wouldn’t call it “nothing”. Not with the way that Luke was shaking on the bed. Luke buried his face into Yuri’s shoulder. Guy couldn’t be sure, but he was willing to bet that Luke was crying. Flynn and Yuri both knew it too. It almost lapsed into silence, but Yuri started jabbering away.

“This sucks though. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sneak in to see you for a while. Don’t worry though. I’m sure Guy will be willing to pass some notes though, right?” Yuri glanced at Guy and Guy nodded. “See? It won’t be so bad.”

“ ’ll miss Repede,” Luke sniffled. 

Yuri looked thoughtful for a moment before a truly wicked grin spread across his face. Guy knew Yuri well enough to fear that look.

“It won’t be forever,” Flynn was saying. “I’m sure your dad will calm down as soon as you show some progress in your lessons. And maybe next then you won’t skip all your classes?”

Luke nodded.

“Come on,” Guy said, pushing Flynn towards the door. “We have to get out of here before that guard shows up.”

 

A week later, Yuri shoved a lumpy package into Guy’s hands and ordered him to give it to Luke. The package was wrapped in newspaper and tied together with what looked like an old shoelace. 

“And don’t forget to, you know…” The hint of a flush tinged Yuri’s cheeks. “Tell him I miss him. Repede too.“ 

Even Guy had to exercise his most stealthy abilities to get Luke alone at this point. Just as the Duke had promised, one of the White Knights attended Luke all day and stayed posted outside his door at night. Guy was allowed to attended him in the evenings, after dinner. It was still his job to bathe Luke, to make him ready for bed afterwards, but all under the eye of the guard.

In the end, the window was still his best entrance. It was generally known that Luke still had yet to re-learn how to open the windows – which of course meant that Luke knew how to open them practically since re-learning to walk. 

After Luke had supposedly “gone to bed”, he would creep to the window and unlatch it. Guy would come when he could, and the two of them would enclose themselves in Luke’s closet where there would be less of a chance of them being heard by the man outside.

“What’s that?” Luke whispered excitedly when he caught sight of the package.

“It’s from Yuri,” Guy replied, passing it over.

Luke dug into it as soon as it was in his hands. In the space of a few seconds, a ragged stuffed animal of some kind – if you squinted the right way, it might have been a cat – emerged from the paper.

“What is it?” Guy said. He couldn’t keep from wrinkling his nose. The animal had a certain… fragrance… that he had long ago associated with the lower town. Yuri had his own little quirks but even so.

Luke hugged it tightly, smoothing its fur against his face. After a moment, there was a look of recognition on his face.

“It smells like Repede!” he announced happily.

Guy found a letter that had been tucked into the present and thrown aside accidentally in Luke’s eagerness. He picked it up and passed it to Luke, who refused to let go of his new toy.

“You read it,” he said.

“Nuh uh,” Guy said. “Yuri’s been helping you with your reading, right? Look, he’s written the whole thing in the fonic alphabet to help you practice.” Truthfully, Yuri probably didn’t know how to read, much less write, Ancient Ispanian, but that didn’t mean that the sentiment wasn’t there.

“Fiiine.” Luke took the scrap of paper in one hand and scooted closer to the small candle.

“ ’Luke’,” he started slowly, “ ’I’m sorry that me and Repede can’t come see you. Repede misses you a lot and moo-‘ “ - “Mopes,” Guy interjected when he saw Luke was having trouble -  “ ’mopes all day long. He hasn’t even been chasing cats!’ ” Luke giggled. “ ’But he did catch this one. And he slept with it for three whole days just so it would smell like him. He hopes it will keep you co… company while you are apart. If it stops smelling like him, give it to Guy and Repede will make it smell like him again.’ “

So it was a cat.

“ ‘Repede and I will see you again soon.’ “ Yuri didn’t bother with a signature.

“He also told me to tell you that he misses you,” Guy dutifully reported.

“Tell Yuri I miss him too,” Luke ordered.

“And?” 

“Um…,” Luke had to think for a minute, “Thank you for the present?”

“I will,” Guy promised. “Now, off to bed with you. You have lessons in the morning.”

Luke groaned but left the closet, following Guy to the window and locking it after him.

 

“Oh! What’s this?”

It was the Colonel. Even knowing he would probably regret it, Yuri looked up from where he was tending to his sword before they set off for the day. Jade was standing by the foot of a bed – Luke’s – and pulled something from underneath that must have gotten misplaced during the night.

Luke noticed it too.

“Leave it alone!” he ordered, rushing to take it from Jade’s hand. “Give it back!”

Yuri caught a glimpse of four limbs and a tail before Luke hid the old stuffed animal in his arms.

“Is that…”

Luke blushed, even as he scowled at Yuri, as if daring him to say something.

“You know, it probably doesn’t smell much like Repede anymore,” Yuri said.

“It doesn’t,” Luke admitted.

“Want to let him have it for a few nights?”

“It’s… fine,” Luke said. “Repede’s here and that’s not why I…”

Yuri was about to say something in return but remembered the Colonel presence. He got up and wrapped an arm around Luke’s shoulders.

“Let’s go to breakfast,” he said loudly. Luke followed his lead, the old toy still in his arms. Jade, still finishing packing his bag, had no excuse to follow them.

“I kept it because you gave it to me,” Luke said suddenly into the silence.

The toy had been torn when Yuri had found it. It had only gotten worse over the years. There was one leg that was only still attached through Luke’s force of will. But Luke still kept it. And kept it with him. 

“Just make sure the Necromancer doesn’t get his hands on it,” Yuri warned. “He’ll probably turn it into the next Tokunaga!”


	7. Playing the Melody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 100 Themes - 67. Playing the Melody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> +Slides new chapter in and runs away+

“Whatcha playing with a stick for?”

When Yuri glances over his shoulder, he finds Luke standing not one foot behind him. Foregoing the lecture on personal space – again - Yuri says, “It’s not a stick.”

Luke points at the admittedly stick-looking piece of wood in Yuri’s hands with an air of condescension that he’s started to pick up from his father.

“That. Is a stick.”

“Well it won’t be for much longer,” Yuri says, carefully cutting into the wood with his small knife. “Don’t you have lessons or something?”

“Yeah. Etiquette lessons,” Luke says. He throws himself onto the street behind Yuri, back to back, undoubtedly ruining his fancy clothes. “Like anyone is going to let me out of the manor long enough to use them.”

Yuri hums in agreement, both because Luke isn’t exactly wrong and because he remembers the lessons Flynn’s mother tried to give both of them and he can understand Luke’s pain.

Like a homing pigeon, Repede appears as soon as Luke has settled down for a thorough petting session. When Luke leans forward to give Repede the attention, Yuri misses the feeling of warmth against his back.

It does make his task easier. He blows the extra wood chips out of the now-hollow tube and begins to cut the holes.

These actions – choosing the wood, hollowing it out with the knife – are instinct for Yuri now. Sometimes he sells his flutes – a few extra coins never hurt and some people seem to think they’re ‘charming’. It gives Yuri a chance to calm his mind. It also takes his mind off the hunger.

A few more years and he can join the army. Flynn is aiming for the Royal Guard. Yuri has his sights set on the White Knights. He pretends the red-head cuddling with his dog has nothing to do with it.

When the flute is finished, Yuri plays a few experimental notes. They never sound quite the same from flute to flute – the differences in the shapes of the sticks and the placement of the holes causes that. But they ring out nice and clear. One of his better ones.

Repede whines behind him and when Yuri turns to look, he finds that Luke is completely still, staring at him.

“What?” Yuri says slowly. “I didn’t think it sounded that bad.”

“Do that again!” Luke says, leaning across Repede.

Yuri plays a short little tune of his own invention, one that he would sometimes play for Flynn or some of the other street orphans. Luke watches with rapt attention. Yuri isn’t sure he is even blinking.

“Let me try it!” Luke says as the final note trails off.

Yuri can’t help but laugh at Luke’s first attempts. To be fair, he isn’t doing too bad for someone with no musical instruction whatsoever – academic studies are more important apparently.

“Why isn’t it working?” Luke says, trying to blow directly into the flute and getting only whooshing air for his troubles.

“You don’t blow into it,” Yuri explains. “The air goes _over_ the holes. Like….” The man who had taught Yuri how to make the flutes called it ‘making out with the flute’ but oh, Yuri was _so not going there_. “Like this.”

He takes the flute to demonstrate.

When he hands it back, Luke’s form is perfect. He almost gets something resembling a note out because he still needs to work on his airflow, but it is a huge improvement.

Yuri is about to move onto breathing but he catches a glimpse of blonde and orange.

“Keep it,” he tells Luke, pressing the flute into Luke’s hands. “We can work more later. But you’d better get going if you don’t want Mother Hen catching you.”

“It’s time for dinner anyways,” Luke sighs. He waves, catching Guy’s attention.

Later, exchanging a few coins for a meager loaf of bread, Yuri thinks back, remembers the sight of Luke’s lips curling around the flute’s mouthpiece just so…

Would that count as an indirect kiss?


	8. Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 100 Themes - 34. Tower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically pre-Tower but whatever

Yuri is waiting for Luke when Luke finally gets back to their room. He doesn’t say anything as Luke takes off his coat and boots, slowly, as if to delay the inevitable. Repede lifts his head to watch but also keeps his silence.

When Luke finally slides into Yuri’s waiting arms, he’s shaking.

Luke is absolutely silent but as he presses his face into Yuri’s neck, Yuri can feel the tears rapidly escaping. Yuri allows him to cry in silence, gently stroking Luke’s head as he tries to think of something to say.

Repede jumps up on the bed and lies down next to Luke.

“I love you,” Yuri says when Luke’s tears finally subside.

Luke almost starts to cry again. Yuri heads him off with a kiss.

They kiss until Luke is no longer shaking and Repede has left in order to give them some privacy. Luke kisses with a desperation he’s never had before, as if it will keep tomorrow from coming.

But then it’s as if all the strength goes out of him and he collapses on top of Yuri.

“I’m sorry,” Luke says. Yuri has to strain to hear him, but when he realizes what Luke has said, furry burns in him.

“This is not your fault. You don’t have to apologize,” he says.

Luke seems to be lost in his head when he says, “Tear told me she wouldn’t forgive me for dying.”

Yuri understands where Tear is coming from. He doesn’t want Luke to die either. He wants Luke to do whatever it takes to keep living, even if it means that other people, people who have never cared about Yuri or the orphans of Baticul or Luke himself, might have to die.

But Luke has made a choice and Yuri doesn’t want to be holding him back. Yuri suspects that at least part of Luke’s decision was based on the ever-present guilt for Akzeriuth. He wants to ask Luke to be truthful, if he really wants to do this thing of his own will.

And yet… There is a kind of peace in Luke’s eyes that has been missing ever since that horrible moment. A contentment. Yuri had hoped to bring it back with love and kindness and attention to Luke, but that had not helped.

So as much as Yuri wanted to pull Luke into his arms and never let go, he did the best thing he could. The responsible thing. The “right” thing.

“I’ll miss you,” he says. He punctuates his sentences with kisses, rather than periods, determined to squeeze as much as they could into the time remaining. “I’ll always love you. I’ll never forget you. If this is what you want to do, then I’ll help you do it.” No matter how much it hurt. No matter that it would basically be sacrificing Yuri along with him.

He doesn’t say the rest, but from the look on Luke’s face, Yuri thinks Luke has heard it all the same.

They settle themselves under the covers, pressed tight together.

“Yuri, tell me a story?” Luke asks.

“Once upon a time, there was a brave hero…”


	9. Bonus Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So these "Bonus Chapters" are events that take place within the same universe as the rest of the fic, but do not expressly contain YuriLuke. (Like, Yuri isn't even in this one.) But I reference some of this later so I guess you'll need it all the same.
> 
> Also Patty is the best of anything ever. Just saying.

“So you’re a replica, huh?”

The part of Luke’s thoughts that sounds like Yuri keeps insisting that being a replica isn’t a bad thing, but the part that sounds like Master Van and Asch and Dist is louder. Luke flinches at the question.

“Don’t feel bad,” the girl says, patting his arm. “I’m a replica too. Kind of.”

“Kind of?” How can someone ‘kind of’ be a replica.

“Don’t tell the Colonel,” Patty says, leaning in, “’Cause he doesn’t know yet and he _knows_ that there’s something he doesn’t know and it’s driving him bananas.”

Luke wants to point out that it’s almost impossible to keep secrets from Jade and hasn’t Patty figured this out already? But she’s been with Guy and Jade and Asch for over a month and still has this secret. Maybe she could teach him how to do it. He nods.

“Basically, that Dist guy was playing around with memory particles a while ago. He tried to use them as the basis for the replication process but something went… sideways. And instead of getting some boring old famous pirate he got me!”

Luke looks at Patty, with her height and her pigtails and her oden. Yeah, he can’t see it either.

“So don’t worry too much about being a replica, okay?” she says. She pulls another stick of oden from… somewhere… and offers it to Luke. “We’re definitely the coolest people around.”

Luke takes the oden and munches at it absently. Patty grins.

“You’re way better than that angry guy. Do you know he said oden was gross? You obviously have _much_ better taste.”

“Patty!” Guy calls, coming down from the bridge. “Were you messing around with the engine again?”

“The energy flow is so inefficient!” Patty says through bites of oden. “I thought the Colonel would appreciate the upgrade! Gives the old girl a little more oomph!”

“You got rid of the FCU!”

“Yeah, ‘cause you don’t _need_ it. There should only be two speeds on any engine – stop and full speed ahead!”

“We almost crashed!”

“Well we wouldn’t have if the Colonel would just let me drive,” Patty says, rolling her eyes before flashing a quick smile at Luke.

“Your feet wouldn’t reach the pedals,” Jade says smoothly. “Now please assist Guy in re-installing the FCU.”

“There are no pedals on a landship,” Luke says because he’s been around Guy and the Tartarus long enough to know that much at least.

“Booooring,” Patty says. “If I re-install it, will you let me drive?”

“I’ll think about it,” Jade says which in Jade-speak means no and everyone knows it.

“Be that way,” Patty says. She moves to the wall and quickly squeezes inside a vent (how long has that been there?). Luke can hear her move through the walls. “Good luck trying to fix it without the hookup.”

“PATTY!”

“You’ll never find it!” Patty cheers. “Only a true adventurer will be able to find it or my name isn’t Aifread!”

“It’s not!”

Luke’s willing to bet the piece is somewhere in the duct work – somewhere only Patty, Anise, or Ion could reach. And based on the smirk that’s spread across Anise’s face, the Colonel won’t be getting any help on that front.


	10. Bonus Chapter 2

“Mother!” Luke says, pushing open the doors to the manor.

They run into a regiment of the Royal Guard, no doubt escorting Natalia. They are mostly lounging about, but one of them catches sight of Luke, and they all snap to attention. Tear and Anise seem a bit surprised, but it’s common to Luke. Their captain wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“Your highness,” Flynn says. “It’s good to see you safe.”

“Call me Luke,” Luke tries, yet again.

Flynn is… a stickler for protocol, or, as Yuri would say, a “tight-ass”. It’s a trait that has served Flynn well as he’s risen through the ranks, even as it drove almost any royal he was assigned to insane.

Well, Estelle hadn’t used the word insane, but that was what she meant. The last time she had been in the Royal Capital, she was being guarded by Flynn’s former second in command. Sodia was, in some ways, even worse than Flynn, which Luke hadn’t thought possible.

“Yes, your highness,” Flynn says, and Luke sighs. It’s not worth the fight, Luke’s found.

“No thanks to the Royal Guard,” Yuri drawls. He walks into the entry way as if he owns the place, even though this is actually the first time he’s been invited.

“Yuri,” Flynn says and Luke smothers the laugh as he can see Flynn resisting the urge to either rub his temples, or strangle Yuri.

It’s a toss-up.

“Flynn,” Yuri parrots back with a smirk.

“And your companions?” Flynn says.

“Oh.” Because it’s a Guard’s job to know who is approaching his princess. “Uh… Fon Master Ion, his Guardian Anise, Tear’s in the Oracle Knights, and Jade’s in the Malkuth military.”

Flynn’s attention is immediately focused on the enemy soldier and Luke waits for the expected smooth, likely sarcastic response, but nothing comes. He turns to glance back at Jade.

Jade’s faces has gone completely white. His mouth is moving, but no words are coming out.

“Are you okay, Colonel?” Anise asks.

Jade stops and takes a deep breath before finally speaking.

“Are you related to Guy, by any chance?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Surely it hasn’t escaped your notice that you bear a striking resemblance to our resident fon machine buff,” Jade says. “Are you related? Twins perhaps?”

“This again?” Guy says. “I really don’t see it.”

“Nor I,” Flynn says.

“Give it up, old man,” Yuri says. “You’ll never get through to them. And no, they’re not related. It’s just a weird coincidence.”

Jade looks like he wants to inquire further, but he’s cut off, as so many are, by Natalia’s entrance.

“Luke!’ Natalia says. “What are you still doing here? Go and see Aunt Susanne.”

Luke ignores Jade’s weird reaction, Flynn and Guy’s retorts to Yuri that no they don’t look anything alike. His mother is sick and it’s all his fault and it’s all he can think about. He heads for her room, Tear and Meiu trailing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Flynn and Guy aren't replicas. I just like to mess with Jade's head because he's an asshole and deserves it.


	11. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of a series of fics I wrote for Valentine's Day this year.
> 
> (Does Auldrant have Valentine's Day? More important, do I care?)

It starts just like any other morning. Luke grumbles as Yuri rolls out of bed before falling back asleep. It’s still mostly dark outside, with only the hint of the sun on the horizon.

Jade is, unsurprisingly, awake already. If Yuri hadn’t slept in the same room as the man more than once, he would almost believe Jade didn’t sleep at all. Jade has a cup of coffee and the newspaper. He doesn’t acknowledge Yuri as Yuri makes his way to the kitchen.

Peony had offered to have their meals brought to them, but Yuri enjoys cooking. It’s relaxing, something he finds himself needing more and more often these days.

Luke had refused Peony’s offer before Yuri could himself though.

“No thanks,” he’d said. “Yuri makes the best omelets!”

Yuri can’t help but grin at the memory. It would be omelets for breakfast today then!

One by one, the rest of the gang trails in. There’s a pattern to it, and Yuri cooks accordingly. Jade first of course, but Guy is always close behind him. Then Patty, Flynn, and Tear. Ion and Anise always come in at the same time, and the royals are always the last ones awake.

Natalia’s almost done with her breakfast when Yuri realizes the dish he set out for Luke is getting cold. Yuri picks up both Luke’s plate and his own and heads back to their room.

But Luke isn’t in their room, or the bathroom. Yuri starts to search the other rooms.

It turns out there is a small sitting room at the other end of the suite, opposite the kitchen and main living area. Luke and Repede are both there, but the sight makes Yuri pause.

“What on earth…”

Repede is wearing a little pair of wings on his back, next to a quiver. He’s also wearing what can only be called a diaper, though there is a hole cut in it for his tail. Yuri would have expected his friend to be annoyed about the goofy outfit, but Repede seems positively chipper.

“Now Repede!” says a voice.

Yuri watches as Repede takes an arrow from the quiver and hurls it in his direction with his usual pin-point accuracy. It smacks Yuri’s fore-head, dead center, and sticks.

“Bull’s-eye!”

“You are so lucky I didn’t drop this,” Yuri tells Luke flatly. Before his boyfriend and his dog get any more ideas, Yuri sets both plates on the table.

A table covered in a pink tablecloth. A vase of pink and red roses sits in the middle, and beside it sits a pink stuffed dog.

Yuri blinks.

Luke ignores the omelet – ignores it! – and throws himself at Yuri in a hug and a kiss.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Luke says.

All the pieces finally connect and Yuri’s heart sinks. Their first Valentine’s Day as a couple and of course he forgot.

He must have been silent too long, because Luke is looking up at him worriedly.

“Yuri, you okay?”

“Yeah,” he says, trying to shake it off. “Happy V-day, Luke. Let’s eat.”

“Ooh, what did you make?”

Repede disappears (Probably to go take that costume off. Cupid, Luke? Really?), leaving Yuri and Luke to enjoy their breakfast alone. Luke is telling Yuri about a weird dream had involving Jade, Asch, and a banana suit. The chairs are close together so Luke is basically leaning into Yuri the entire time, and it almost takes the edge off.

“Oh,” Luke says as they finish the last of the omelets, “that’s for you, by the way.”

He hands Yuri the pink dog. It’s wearing a pink eye patch over its left eye.

“It’s Repede, see? Except I had to use an eye patch because I couldn’t find a dog with a scar.”

It’s kind of cute, in a demented sort of way.

“Sorry,” Yuri says.

“What’s wrong?” Luke says. “You don’t like it?”

“No. It’s not that that.”

Luke’s head is resting on Yuri’s shoulder and Yuri rests his own head on top of Luke’s.

“I do like it. But I didn’t do anything for you. I forgot.”

“Is _that_ what you’re worried about?” Luke says with a laugh. He takes Yuri’s hand and twines their fingers together. “I kind of expected it, honestly. Flynn warned me. He said you used to forget your birthday before we started forcing those parties on you.”

Yuri flushes a bit. So he’s not great with dates. It wasn’t important. Before.

“Let’s just go out and do something,” Luke continues. “I got Anise and Natalia to convince Jade to agree to a day off. And I hear the waterfalls are kind of romantic.”

Yuri is trying to figure out how to nicely put his boyfriend off the idea. When he looks down, he sees Luke looking up at him, a teasing smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, no. Sparring?”

“Hell yeah! Let me grab my sword!”

Luke dashes off, as though Yuri doesn’t also need to go back to their room for his own weapon. Yuri picks up the stuffed dog. He can’t help but smile at Luke’s ridiculousness. Nonetheless, when he goes to grab his sword, he tucks the dog deep into his bag.

No way he was letting Jade or Flynn see it. The teasing would _never_ stop.


	12. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 57\. Sacrifice

Luke is alive.

He’s still shaking, and has been since the Tower. Yuri understands.

Luke is alive and sitting right next to him.

He’s almost silent, turning the Jewel of Lorelai over and over again. He startles when someone speaks too loud. Yuri sits next to him, trying to be a reassurance, trying to ground him.

They are in the very back of the Albiore’s cabin. Guy and Flynn are in front of them, talking in hushed voices and fielding anyone who tries to disturb them. Tear and Natalia each look upset, but they don’t offer much protest.

Luke is alive. He has the devil’s luck.

Yuri takes one of his hands and holds it tightly. Luke looks up at him, forces a smile, and goes back to staring into space. But his hand does squeeze Yuri’s and Yuri takes it as a small victory.

He has a feeling they are going to be needing it.

Guy, Anise, Tear, and Natalia all seem so happy. They seem a bit confused by the depressing silence in the back of the Albiore.

Jade, as always, is hard to read. But Yuri thinks Jade is still worried. Perhaps worried by the same thing that Yuri is.

Yuri almost wishes Patty was there. They had had to leave the girl back in Yulia City. Jade wasn’t sure how close to replica her structure was and didn’t want to risk it. Patty had protested, but Luke had also made a quiet request and she had given in.

Patty had the ability to make Luke smile, no matter what. She seemed to understand him in ways Yuri never could. She was a fellow replica, though she had not been created to replace someone.

But she isn’t there and Yuri is.

Yuri hadn’t thought of what he’d say to Luke after. Neither of them had even thought that there might be an ‘after’. Yes, they still needed to stop Van and release Lorelai, but that had always been a distant goal. In his mind, Yuri’s immediate future had ended with Luke.

And then it hadn’t. Luke was alive and they would move forward together.

_The devil’s luck,_ Yuri thinks. _And what did the devil usually ask in exchange?_

The thing is, Yuri doesn’t have good luck. Even when he’s riding high, he knows to prepare for the inevitable fall that is sure to follow. And it always, always follows.

Luke keeps staring at his hands. He’s alive and staring at his hands and lost in his own head. Yuri can’t think of anything to say to pull him out of it.

Then, suddenly, the feeling of Luke’s hand in his own is gone.

It’s a split moment, not even a second. Had it been in any other situation, Yuri would have brushed it off.

But it isn’t any other situation. Yuri is watching, waiting for the fall. And even though it ends and Luke’s hand is solid within his own once again, Yuri is afraid this might be the beginning.


End file.
